Looking for a nice neighborhood.

[phlizmo]

I will soon be moving to Tokyo and the relocation company is asking me a list of questions like, "What kind of place do you want to live?", "How far do you want your commute to be?", "Do you prefer the city or a suburb?" etc..

I have been to japan about 5 times, two of those times I was working for 2 months. I have seen much of tokyo and have places I enjoy but now that I am going to be given a permanent residence I would like to make an informed choice. So maybe there are folks here who can give me some advice on this.

I will be working in Shinagawa and usually when I work I stay near the station. Despite the convenience I find this to be a pretty boring area. I like a little more action and night life.
Im also wondering about housing. I am a musician and will most likely need to make a bit of noise and will need to live in a place that can accommodate this. I also dont want to live in a box as I have a considerable amount of equipment, (guitars, synths, etc.. ).... Obviously im babbling and overwhelmed.. so any advice I would appreciate....

Anyway just getting the ball rolling.. thanks..

[Russell]

I recommend this place.

If you can afford it.

But seriously, what is your budget?

Are you some famous pop star, or so?!?

[phlizmo]

I recommend this place.

If you can afford it.

But seriously, what is your budget?

Are you some famous pop star, or so?!?

HA! Nice.. hmm.. It looks like I am getting a housing allowance of about 300,000 JPY.. Probably should have mentioned that

[phlizmo]

actually a friend recommended kichijoji.. Ive been there once and I loved it but I have this fear of working late, missing the last train, and spending all of my money on taxis or sleeping at a hotel.. or under my desk..

[wagyl]

That crosses this place off the list then.


But in all seriousness, you seem to have answered your own questions. You do not want to be out in the suburbs, you want a lively neighbourhood and you want space and also soundproofing to engage in music. That is the information you give the people doing your relocation.

[Russell]

I recommend this place.

If you can afford it.

But seriously, what is your budget?

Are you some famous pop star, or so?!?

HA! Nice.. hmm.. It looks like I am getting a housing allowance of about 300,000 JPY..

Is that per month or per year?

[yanpa]

I recommend this place.

If you can afford it.

But seriously, what is your budget?

Are you some famous pop star, or so?!?

HA! Nice.. hmm.. It looks like I am getting a housing allowance of about 300,000 JPY..

Is that per month or per year?

If it's per year, here's something nice and central

[Russell]

I recommend this place.

If you can afford it.

But seriously, what is your budget?

Are you some famous pop star, or so?!?

HA! Nice.. hmm.. It looks like I am getting a housing allowance of about 300,000 JPY..

Is that per month or per year?

If it's per year, here's something nice and central

Not sure whether that gives enough storage space for his guitars.

Now, I admit a guitar is not a grand piano, so maybe it suffices for him.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Kichijoji to Shinagawa isn't that bad of a commute time wise by Tokyo standards. Depending on how far you are from the station on both ends you're looking at 50 to 60 mins door-to-door. However, you'd be taking some of the lines that are most crowded during rush hour so if you're going to be commuting in the morning at the same time as everyone else, it could be pretty miserable. Kawasaki and Yokohama are easy commutes to Shinagawa so don't forget to consider Kanagawa.

For 300K a month you can get an apartment in central Tokyo in the 60 - 80 m2 (about 600 - 800 ft2) range. Whether or not they'll be OK with you making noise playing music is something your real estate agent is going to have to figure out with the landlord. When you say nightlife I guess it depends on what you mean. Do you mean dance clubs and Western-style bars like Roppongi are do you mean mom-and-pop izakayas and yakitori shops like a lot of neighborhoods? With your budget and office location you have a lot of options for decent areas to live so I think space and ability to play music are going to be the bigger issues. Assuming everything is plugged in you might want to get used to playing with headphones on. That way you don't have to worry about the neighbors.

[yanpa]

Kichijoji to Shinagawa isn't that bad of a commute time wise by Tokyo standards. Depending on how far you are from the station on both ends you're looking at 50 to 60 mins door-to-door.

Kichijoji itself isn't particularly blessed with rental apartments, oddly enough. (I tried looking there once, thin pickings at all ends of the market). If it has to be that general end of things, Asagaya/Koenji might be better bets.

[phlizmo]

It's gonna be 300k per month. Yeah I suppose I can always use headphones. By central Tokyo what do you mean? Within the yamanote? I'm not so much interested I clubs but I love bars and live music.

[Samurai_Jerk]

If you want to be in town and close to nightlife and work while having cool bars and live music in your neighborhood, I recommend Ebisu.

[Taro Toporific]

If you want to be in town and close to nightlife and work while having cool bars and live music in your neighborhood, I recommend Ebisu.

Ditto on Ebisu---a good place with cool bars and live music that is close to your work.
If you are working late in Shinigawa, you could bicycle or even walk home to Ebisu no sweat.

Space for all your music junk in the 300,000yen range of rent is possible. However, Japan has not invented insulation and dual pane windows yet. Asking the rental agent to find a place with sound insulation would be like asking for housing with rooftop landing pad and hanger for your flying car.


If you are serious* about practicing at home, you could:

* Commute 1.5 hours from a rented farm house.

* Live on a boat in a Shinagawa marina.

*Buy a box for your box.
Yamaha MyRoom(tm)
Here's a nice box to put inside your shitty Japanese concrete box. The MyRoom(tm) pre-wired for Ethernet, TV cable, and two phone lines: It's fully soundproof which of course is the main purpose.
Price? The natural (plastic) wood one starts at 438,900 yen and the "deluxe" MyRoom(tm) is 598,000 yen.
Visit the Yamaha MyRoom website (in Japanese).
my_room.jpg
.

*Note: Mrs. Taro teaches koto so I have gone through
the ulcer-inducing pain of tying to find living
space with sound insulation (1.5 million yen
to build a semi-soundproof room).

[Dreamy_Peach]

My advice: the closer you can get to your office the better. If you are commuting for 2+ hours a day like a normal Japanese you will hate every aspect of your existence.

[Coligny]

My advice: the closer you can get to your office the better. If you are commuting for 2+ hours a day like a normal Japanese you will hate every aspect of your existence.

and the possibility of coming back by foot in case of quake/meltdown/war/typhoon. Or even using a bicycle from times to times...
(I never go to nagoya without my micro survival pack... google map tells me there is at least a 14H/70km walking trek to the BigT in case of SHTF, that don't include stopping to kill zombies, foraging for food an water in burned down combinis or the time it would take to form and train a cohesive group of survivors to increase chances to make it back alive)

[omae mona]

If it's per year, here's something nice and central

You know, that is a pretty impressive price for Yotsuya even if the building is 60 years old. However, I think a daily visit to the sento (assuming you like washing up once per day) might nearly double the costs....

[wagyl]

If it's per year, here's something nice and central

You know, that is a pretty impressive price for Yotsuya even if the building is 60 years old. However, I think a daily visit to the sento (assuming you like washing up once per day) might nearly double the costs....

Way off topic but there are a couple of traps with renting that place: one is that there is a monthly cleaning fee of 10,000 a month for cleaning the communal toilets and communal kitchen sink (love the retro concrete sink, wish it was tiled though), and the lease is for a fixed term of 18 months, which makes it sound like there will be no extensions after that term is up.

Sento within Tokyo are currently 460 yen a time, and allowing for a sento holiday one day a week you are looking at about 12,000 a month.

All up, about 62 man yen a year, not including the key money, deposit, compulsory insurance, compulsory guarantor company fee. There is no way we are coming in under our 30 man yen a year budget.

[kurogane]

I think space and ability to play music are going to be the bigger issues. Assuming everything is plugged in you might want to get used to playing with headphones on. That way you don't have to worry about the neighbors.

This is a huge issue, so do pay close attention to this OP. You will become very unattractive as a prospective tenant the moment you mention musical instruments and your propensitty for annoying the neighbours with them. FYR, I have had other foreigners moved because of their music, whether instruments or records. If I were paying that level of rent and a "musician" moved in near enough I was subjected to it I would raise holy hell, and rest assured most Japanese would to. That is why they have rental studios and the covered bits under bridges. Indeed, you might look into a monthly rental studio so as not to be That Guy in your new neighbourhood. That would allow you to downgrade your apartment, so it might work out the same in total cost. At any rate, you will be hated like a leper if you play in your apartment, as is only right and proper. You saw what Japanese apartments are like.

[Dreamy_Peach]

Way off topic but there are a couple of traps with renting that place: one is that there is a monthly cleaning fee of 10,000 a month for cleaning the communal toilets and communal kitchen sink (love the retro concrete sink, wish it was tiled though), and the lease is for a fixed term of 18 months, which makes it sound like there will be no extensions after that term is up.

Jesus christ, why would any self respecting adult want to live in such a shit-hole?

[Russell]

Way off topic but there are a couple of traps with renting that place: one is that there is a monthly cleaning fee of 10,000 a month for cleaning the communal toilets and communal kitchen sink (love the retro concrete sink, wish it was tiled though), and the lease is for a fixed term of 18 months, which makes it sound like there will be no extensions after that term is up.

Jesus christ, why would any self respecting adult want to live in such a shit-hole?

Because he can?!?

[wagyl]

Way off topic but there are a couple of traps with renting that place: one is that there is a monthly cleaning fee of 10,000 a month for cleaning the communal toilets and communal kitchen sink (love the retro concrete sink, wish it was tiled though), and the lease is for a fixed term of 18 months, which makes it sound like there will be no extensions after that term is up.

Jesus christ, why would any self respecting adult want to live in such a shit-hole?

No love for the retro concrete sink I see...

[IparryU]

Way off topic but there are a couple of traps with renting that place: one is that there is a monthly cleaning fee of 10,000 a month for cleaning the communal toilets and communal kitchen sink (love the retro concrete sink, wish it was tiled though), and the lease is for a fixed term of 18 months, which makes it sound like there will be no extensions after that term is up.

Jesus christ, why would any self respecting adult want to live in such a shit-hole?

Because for some this is their only option?

[Samurai_Jerk]

Way off topic but there are a couple of traps with renting that place: one is that there is a monthly cleaning fee of 10,000 a month for cleaning the communal toilets and communal kitchen sink (love the retro concrete sink, wish it was tiled though), and the lease is for a fixed term of 18 months, which makes it sound like there will be no extensions after that term is up.

Jesus christ, why would any self respecting adult want to live in such a shit-hole?

Because for some this is their only option?

Exactly. It's not like people living there are happy with that option. It beats a cardboard box by the Sumida River though.

[IparryU]

Way off topic but there are a couple of traps with renting that place: one is that there is a monthly cleaning fee of 10,000 a month for cleaning the communal toilets and communal kitchen sink (love the retro concrete sink, wish it was tiled though), and the lease is for a fixed term of 18 months, which makes it sound like there will be no extensions after that term is up.

Jesus christ, why would any self respecting adult want to live in such a shit-hole?

Because for some this is their only option?

Exactly. It's not like people living there are happy with that option. It beats a cardboard box by the Sumida River though.

Choko knew this gal who was drop dead gorgeous, but lived in some shit hole. He can tell the story better than me... But just looking at her you would have never known.

Bitch ended up jacking his expensive pair of jeans though... Must have been the flipapino in her...

[yanpa]

Way off topic but there are a couple of traps with renting that place: one is that there is a monthly cleaning fee of 10,000 a month for cleaning the communal toilets and communal kitchen sink (love the retro concrete sink, wish it was tiled though), and the lease is for a fixed term of 18 months, which makes it sound like there will be no extensions after that term is up.

Jesus christ, why would any self respecting adult want to live in such a shit-hole?

Because for some this is their only option?

Exactly. It's not like people living there are happy with that option. It beats a cardboard box by the Sumida River though.

Choko knew this gal who was drop dead gorgeous, but lived in some shit hole.

Why does that not surprise me?

He can tell the story better than me...

I'll order the popcorn.

[Russell]

Choko knew this gal who was drop dead gorgeous, but lived in some shit hole.

Why does that not surprise me?

He can tell the story better than me...

I'll order the popcorn.

And I'll cool the beer.

[IparryU]

Choko knew this gal who was drop dead gorgeous, but lived in some shit hole.

Why does that not surprise me?

He can tell the story better than me...

I'll order the popcorn.

And I'll cool the beer.[/quote]
Campfire or water cooler style? We can do both, just leave the cats at home wabbit man.

[Russell]

Choko knew this gal who was drop dead gorgeous, but lived in some shit hole.

Why does that not surprise me?

He can tell the story better than me...

I'll order the popcorn.

And I'll cool the beer.

Campfire or water cooler style? We can do both, just leave the cats at home wabbit man.

Now we only need Choko's input.

Choko, where art thou?!?

[matsuki]

Choko knew this gal who was drop dead gorgeous, but lived in some shit hole.

Why does that not surprise me?

He can tell the story better than me...

I'll order the popcorn.

Half jap/flip chick, her and sisters were cut off from a practically homeless J-father and unloaded by their abusive flip mom to an orphanage. When I met her, apparently she was working at pachinko parlors...all I knew was shehad all the latest clothes, makeup, iphone, etc. When I saw her apartment, I was in shock. I think it was a 4 tatami room with some sort of port-o-potty like mobile shower rigged into it as an afterthought.

Bitch ended up jacking his expensive pair of jeans though... Must have been the flipapino in her..

She was really flakey so while it was fun and all, I never took her seriously. The last night I saw her, she apparently saw her ex at one of the clubs we were at, then proceeded to drink til she puked. I helped clean her up and all that, back to my place, and let her borrow some PJ's/wash her clothes...though half of them she left at the club. (along with my fav. jacket ) Next morning she "can't go home like this!" so I let her borrow a pair of jeans. Later that day, instead of a "thank you" I pretty much got an "I just got a new job at a galzbar and I don't want to see you anymore" but "of course I'll bring you back your jeans! I'm not a thief!" Last I ever saw of her, my jeans, and my fav. jacket. Bitch

[J.A.F.O]

what goes around... Seems like her life is pretty miserable already. You might have gotten out of that mess pretty lucky. If all it cost you were jeans and a good jacket it maybe a cheap riddance. Drinking excessively, orphanage, abusive parents, broken home, lives in a shithole, etc. All that and more in less than two paragraphs... Starting to worry for you Choco.